High Fructose Corn Syrup = Diabetes?

A new study by University of Southern California (USC) and University of Oxford researchers indicates that there is a relationship between the amounts of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumed in various countries and the likelihood of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers found that “countries using high fructose corn syrup in their food supply have a 20 percent higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes.” This increased prevalence “occurred independent of total sugar intake and obesity levels.” A press release from the sponsoring organizations noted that “growing evidence reveals that the body metabolizes fructose differently from glucose.”

These results underscore the need for consumers to read labels and consider the potential health consequences of the food they eat.

One Response to “ High Fructose Corn Syrup = Diabetes? ”

Diabetes isn’t caused by the consumption of any one food, beverage or ingredient. It’s a complex health condition with numerous risk factors such as age, genetics and obesity, according to the American Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/risk-factors/. With respect to High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), science shows that HFCS is so nearly identical in structure to table sugar that the body processes the two in essentially the same way. In other words, the sugars found in beverages are not unique, nor can the body distinguish them from naturally occurring sugars.